Poconos' best bartender

Monday

Dec 31, 2012 at 12:01 AM

CHAD SMITH

Sure, Steven Bongiovanni, a bartender for almost 15 years, knows how to make many drinks.

But when Bongiovanni, manager of the Original Pocono Pub in Bartonsville, was asked why he thought he was voted best bartender in the Poconos in a recent Pocono Record survey, he said he didn't necessarily think it had to do with the drinks.

It probably had to do more, he said, with his approach as a bartender and the atmosphere he helps create in the bar.

Bongiovanni, 43, said he has always believed that his bar should be a place where people are smiling and laughing, where they feel as safe and welcomed as they do at home, and where they can pour out their worries and get feedback from the staff.

"I just learned that a bartender needs to be patient and compassionate. Because you never know what that person who just sat down is harboring," said Bongiovanni, who has worked at the Original Pocono Pub on Route 611 for 11 years.

Bongiovanni, originally from Brooklyn, said he tries to warmly greet everyone who comes through the establishment's front doors — regular or newcomer.

"I think that's the mark of a good bartender, how they greet you right off the bat," Bongiovanni said.

When he's working, Bongiovanni said he tries to read the customers' expressions or body language to get a sense of the mood they're in, then tries to engage them in conversation in an appropriate manner.

And while he enjoys having fun and creating a fun atmosphere behind the bar — he and fellow bartenders are known to sing along to Frank Sinatra songs and joke with each other — he also wants patrons to know the staff is there for them.

"There have been times when people come in here and they're scowling, looking all mad and upset, and either my staff or I will be like, straight up, 'Do you need a hug?' And they'll take it."

But don't mistake Bongiovanni's kindness for weakness. Bongiovanni is tall and brawny, with arms covered in tattoos. There have been times when people have gotten out of line at the bar, and Bongiovanni has thrown them out himself, slamming the front door in their faces.

"Again, a bar should really be safe place," he said. "A bar should be the kind of place where you can run out for a second, leave your wife or your sister, and know that she won't get hassled."

Sharon DeFino, who owns the Original Pocono Pub, agreed.

"Let me tell you, for all the time that Steven has worked here, I have never once felt threatened or had to worry about anything happening in this bar. He has been such a gift to us in so many ways."

Bongiovanni, who scarcely ever drinks alcohol, says he plans on staying at the Pocono Pub for years to come.

Though he cares a great deal about preserving a certain atmosphere in the bar, he also obviously cares a lot about the craft of drink making. He continually learns how to make new cocktails.

"I just learned to make this crazy version of an Electric Lemonade the other day," he said. And he tweaks the ones that need tweaking.

But, in all honesty, Bongiovanni says, "You don't even need to have an alcoholic drink when you come here. You know how many people stop by here for coffee? Everyone is equally respected and they're equally welcomed."